2012 sisters

chrissera i am 16 days PFC and feeling great also.  I had a lumpectomy on both sides before I started Chemo (May 17th)....the first few days after I wore a tank top with a buiilt in support bra - with having it done on both breasts it was very difficult to get comfortable, so used lots of pillows to support myself and keep myself from moving around too much in bed at night.  I am rather big busted, so found I had to support them whenever I moved,the left side was especially sore, found a very good sports bra that really held me in and that worked for me--- certainly did not help with my shape but was more comfortable than letting them bounce a bit.  Think it was about two weeks for recovery...strange how a person forgets.

I will be starting 25 rounds of radiation on the 19th. 

Good Luck and Lots of Hugs. 

Ladies; I think I've had enough. Vi don't want to do the two additional chemo sessions. Thoughts?

Juneau, I found out my onco type on Monday at my post op BMX appt. All I know about what it is it will tell me my chances of recurrence. Can you give me a little more details?? What is a good number? Is it 1-100?

Whoops, misread your history at the bottom Tina and only the SNB, is that right? 

1-18. Low risk

18-30 (?) grey area

31+ high risk

Juneau, I can't speak for you and the fact that I haven't had chemo or know for sure that I have to makes me have NO business in YOUR business.  Personally, if I had an ONCO score of 22, I don't think I would do chemo but I say that now.  After getting all the details from the Oncologist, I may change my mind. It's scary to think that I may need it.  I read all of your stories and it's heartbreaking...I'm TERRIFIED!  I never felt sick so why the hell do 
I have to do all this?!?!?! 

Please know that whatever decision you make, this girl will be standing by you (from Mississippi of course) .   Hear are so many <<<<hugs>>> from a distance! 

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Dear Juneaubugg,

You have already done two chemos, and have gone through those SE's, but the recommended dosage is four cycles, so all the suffering so far will then have been for nothing. It is a marathon, not a sprint. Think of the bigger picture. Please, you only have two more, and you CAN do this. I'm sure we all hit a place during chemo where we did not want to go on. I know I did, and my family convinced me to go on. Today I'm so glad, because I know I did everything I possibly could, and will not blame myself later. Websister has a very good suggestion re the hair thread. I whined on there during June when my hair would not start growing, and those ladies were such an encouragement, just as everybody on this thread. Sending big hugs your way! 

Websister, I remember only too well the feeling of panic when the doorbell rang and my head was bare, which was most of the time at home. You and your family seem to be handling it well. The more open/natural we are about it, the better for those around us, especially our bigger children. They are much more resilient than we think, it is better to tackle this thing as a team, and let them help us fight the battle. It is what it is, hey?

Marianelize, I am in Port Alberni enjoying the glorious summer day. Don't know how many we have left . . .

Had my first experience with 'the rude ones'... Seems my daughter and I weren't walking across (not diagonal) from one side of cars to the other, some lady in her SUV came tearing down the lane (after we started walking across) and didn't appear to be slowing down for our sakes. So I moved my daughter ahead of me and out of harms way while watching the woman in the truck cuss me out for being slow. My head was topless, but I guess cancer, nausea and bone pain are no excuse for walking slow.



It certainly takes all kinds in life! lol

Firestorm; LOL I got flipped the bird today too, for merging onto the road. Seems merger means.. Stop and let the asshole who is speeding go first out they'll flip you off. (guess who different stop for them)



Thanks ladies for the reminders, I think....., but I'm still torn. ill talk to my doctor Monday anyway because my port is hurting and seems to be positioned differently then it was before. I know I thought long and hard first, and that god guided me, but I can't help feeling like..... If I knew how hard emotionally this was going to be, maybe I would have said no...? Or maybe not. shit I hate this fucking disease.

Marian- A little confusing. I had the injection for the SNB but the injection didn't do what it was supposed to do so that it why I ended up having a dissection as well.  He took what looked like the largest lymph node, sent it to path during surgery and when it tested positive he removed the other lymph nodes around it.  My initial PET scan showed 3 positive lymph nodes but the path report came back with 6 (MO said they are clustered so tightly together that they sometimes look like one on the PET scan when they can be several).  My lymph nodes were removed during my first surgery on 5/29.  There is no way to confirm that my surgeon was able to get all of the positive lymph nodes until I have another PET scan and my MO said that won't happen until 3 months after I finish radiation.  I am feeling confident that they did remove all of the positive lymph nodes and in the chance that they didn't the radiation will take care of anything that is left. 

Good call, Juneaubugg, having the two weeks may just be what you need.

juneau- Chemo sucks but its doable and works.  However I can't put myself in your shoes.  Given a choice, I'm not sure if I would've done it.  I didn't have a choice so I just did it and got through.  My sister (who has another type of cancer) was given a choice and chose to do it but there were many times she felt like quitting.  Her was just as a precaution but she was cancer free when she started.  Tough call...chemo destroys the body in so many ways.  Thinking of you.  There are so many decisions to make with treatments and I second guess many of my decisions daily, especially since I've had so many complications with my surgery.  However, I am sticking with my original plan and hoping for the best!  Hugs to you in whatever you decide.  You are on the downslide and are so close to finishing.  I think you can do it!!!

I was confused when I kept reading about oncotype because my MO never discussed this with me.  I was going to ask him the next time I saw him but then I read the breastcancer.org article about it and I think its only for Stage I and Stage II, right?  I don't think they even run a test if they know you are Stage III.  Maybe you can explain more since your MO has told you about it.  I would like to make sure I'm right before I talk to my MO.  I try to do as much research on my own as possible before generating questions for my doctors. 

Juneau- I can't tell you what to do with your decision but I know how you are feeling I did 4 ac and 10 taxol! AC was much easier for me than taxol but still sucked! I feel that same way about my decision on rads right now and I keep thinking if I decided not to do them would I worry every day that I made a mistake. Would this decision mean I would be at high risk for reoccurence and going through this shit all over again? This is my only time I will do this shit and I will do what it takes to finish the treamtments because I never (pray) want to do this again and want to live! You are young and you are strong and you will get through those last through treatments with flying colors if you choose too! It is your decision and no one can make it for you. If you doctor says the stats are great for not continuing then go with your information and make the best decision you can:) wtf is standard of care for everyone any way! They need more research to give us more information! Dam Cancer! Sending Hugs!

I've read that many of you have changed your diets due to your diagnosis. Was this a personal choice or recommended by your Dr? Ive read numerous times that certain things (for example: artificial sweeteners) can cause cancer, but if it were that bad I figure they couldn't sell it. I've yet to see my Onc and when I do she may explain it all to me and I give up all of my guilty pleasures but until then, why did you all do it?